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Broadway (N, W)
Mon-Tue. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Wed-Thu. 12:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Came here twice, once with a friend from out of town and once with my mother (who's also from out of town). It just seems like a great place to take visitors, since it's an oddball in the neighborhood, with its hip movie projection screen and artsy atmosphere (it's apparently a gallery in addition to a restaurant?)
I've had Yakinishu, Nabe Yaki Udon, Pork Belly, and Spider Roll while here. Everything was very authentic and tasty. The Udon is what I remember best. Udon is hard to do correctly, since it could be way too salty or taste like nothing at all, and sometimes really crappy ingredients are used, but they managed to hit it, with very tender chicken and a fresh tasting broth served up in a cool pot :)
Menu is kinda limited though, and way overpriced. Decent, not spectacular service. Nice atmosphere though, and great to have in Astoria!
As my wife and I waited for the check we argued over whether Linn should get 2 or 3 stars. I was pushing for 2, for the following reasons below. Our check came and there were two pieces of Hershey's Dark Chocolate inside --- I can be bought.
So Linn has a great atmosphere. It's a hip little vibe going on there. There was live music (Friday night) and my wife, who has been to China a few times, felt it was very authentic in style and food.
Well, I guess you need to pay for authenticity because Linn is wayyy overpriced. I mean $5 for a piece of snapper sushi? $3 for egg sushi? $9 per bottle of hot sake that fills about 3-4 teeny tiny shot glasses?
We had a seaweed salad and octopus w/ wasabi sauce for apps. The seaweed salad was definitely different from the norm and pretty tasty. The octopus tasted fine, but the consistency was a little weird. The sushi was good, we really liked the Mach 3 roll.
The server was very nice and we even got a an amuse bouche (which was basically canned tuna mixed with some veggies --- but hey, its free). Unfortunately, when busy on a Friday night, one server and one food runner is not nearly enough. They need to staff atleast one more waitperson ASAP. We had to ask to have waters refilled and waited forever for our check.
I personally don't want to go back again, my wife thinks different --- we shall see! Ranked below JJ's and Watawa by far!
I went here a while ago and I really enjoyed it. What stands out about this place is the decor, a weird modern mix with a projected movie on one wall. I approve. But I will say their outdoor display is lacking and may be hurting sales.
The food was good, but nothing to really write home about. I enjoyed what I ordered (chicken terriyaki) but my girlfriend didn't like her sushi, she said other places in queens are much better.
So proceed with caution I guess.
I liked the sushi here but the staff sucked ass. I ordered the chef special (I like having them decide what I should try) and the Linn special roll. Both were good. For dessert I ordered the Shira Tama (Japanese rice cakes with vanilla ice cream). Don't order this. It wasn't worth it. Also, my dessert came out MELTED because the dessert was sitting on the counter for the waitress to pick up for about 10 whole minutes (yes, I saw it there sitting on the counter for that long). What was she doing instead? Organizing plastic cups in the back. You would think they would at least bring a new one if it was that melted, but they didn't.
Don't get me wrong, the Sushi Chef was great. I even felt bad for him because he was trying to get things done, even doing some of the waitresses job at times. Funny thing is that it wasn't even a busy night. For the amount of money I paid, I would expect better service. Food was good, but not worth the shitty service. Never going back again. Few stops from here is a better sushi place with great service!
This restaurant is authentically Japanese. The sushi, sashimi, rolls, and rice balls are delicious!
There was a Japanese Brazilian band playing on the Friday night we went, it was a great bonus to the delicious cuisine.
Great sushi and it's in Queens!
In the mood for sushi but looking for alternatives to Watawa, we went to Linn tonight. Got a reservation for 7 PM, but we didn't need it - it was just us and another couple in there at the time. Whatever, that's cool; it just means I get my food faster. The first thing that should be mentioned is the decor. It's... modern, I guess. With a bunch of paintings that let this place double as a gallery (?). The sushi bar was low and intimate, and I'll probably sit there next time.
We got three appetizers: edamame, fried tofu, and karaage. The edamame were pretty good, the fried tofu was really nice (covered in a light tempura batter and fried - delicious!) and the karaage were really good. Simple appetizers done right.
I got the chirashi, and it was delicious. Just slices of fish on top of rice and nori. My girlfriend got the sushi set, which was ten pieces of fish and a spicy tuna roll. Again, simple sushi, but done really well. And for what it was, the price was quite good. I'd say the fish was slightly better than what I've gotten in Astoria, and the price was roughly the same, if maybe a bit more.
The service was really, really fast. Part of that may have been because we were the only ones there for awhile (more people showed up between 7 and 8 PM) but the waitresses were attentive and cleared down quickly - if maybe a bit too quickly, heh. A duo (singer and guitarist) came in and started setting up, and we stuck around for a song or two. Interesting thing to have in a sushi bar, but hey, whatever.
Well worth the trip there, especially if you're in the area. I'll be sitting at the bar next time.
Sometimes, an air of mystery enhances an experience. Encountering a bespectacled newspaper reporter or a playboy billionaire is no great shakes. But throw a batsuit or lycra spandex bodysuit on the guy, and you've got a genuine American hero. Such is the case with Linn.
I am not a great fan of sushi. Though I do enjoy fare that others might consider bland, like chicken teriyaki. I enjoy these kinds of dishes, but it generally means that sushi places are interchangeable for me. One is just the same as another. But not Linn.
From the moment Linn opened up, I thought, "Woah, this place I pass by on my way to return movies at Blockbuster even though I have a Netflix account and shouldn't be wasting my money in that way looks really mysterious." There was minimal, if any, signage, a wall blocking most of the view from the street (bragging about their lighting and sound installation designers), and a curtain with the Ferrari logo blocking the narrow entrance from view. "What the heck is going on here?" I asked myself.
After a few weeks, they posted a menu in the window, so it became clear it was a sushi joint of sorts. Because of the air of mystery, I was afraid to visit alone, but went with a group of friends. We had an awesome time! There was a woman singing lounge songs and American standards who was accompanied by a smooth jazz style electric guitarist. She had a very pretty voice, and a thick Asian accent that made her signing comical (not in a bad way), and intriguing. A fresh spin on stale music. There was a screen on one wall playing Japanese DVDs without english subtitles and I spent half the meal trying to figure out if they were playing 7 Samurai, or another Kurosawa film. It was not just a meal, it was a sensory experience.
And the food was very good. Again, I don't eat sushi, but my companions loved theirs. My chicken was very good, and I got a pork belly appetizer which was also great. I hope to go back to this place soon so that I can introduce it to more of my friends.
very friendly sushi chef, but considering the fact that the sushi is made by a japanese chef, the sushi is just okay.
Yesterday, I was looking at a photo of me standing outside an amazing tonkatsu restaurant, and longingly thinking about how much I miss good tonkatsu. Tonkatsu is a pork cutlet breaded and deep-fried in a vaguely tempura style, so that it's incredibly light and crispy and the pork melts in your mouth. It comes with a thick worcestershire sauce and a little mustard and it is god's food.
I just moved to Astoria and my friend took me here last night. What do I see on the menu? Tonkatsu. Now, my friend told me that this place had some serious growing pains, but it's really nice right now. If I had to find an issue with it, they only had one waitress, but she was fast and the chef.owner jumped right in and brought the food directly from the kitchen.
Now to the food/drink. I had the best plum wine I've ever had in my life (and I've drank a lot of plum wine). I guess it was "really sweet", but I don't like the really boozy plum wine. I prefer my booze to mimic a kid's drink as closely as possible. They brought a delicious salad of seaweed and dried fish that was tasty as hell. My house salad was spot on and my miso was warm. We got fried tofu which was so delicate it dissolved the second we touched it, but it also sucked up all the broth and daikon and scallions, so while eating it wasn't the easiest in the world, the flavor was unbelievable.
My friend ordered two rolls and two of the freshest tuna sushi pieces I've had since I've gotten back from Japan. I've had fresh caught tuna, and this couldn't have been frozen more than once (they usually freeze tuna right off the boat, but then unfreeze to clean and process and it usually is frozen/unfrozen a couple more times before it hits our local sushi establishment. Each refreezing makes fish "mushy" and the older it is, the more fishy it tastes.) This tuna was like buttaaaaaaahhhh.
Tonkatsu. My old friend. I'd take a point off because it was all fancy: perfectly prepared, arranged delicately on a plate with garnishes and two eel-tamago rolls that were wonderfully tasty, with a bowl of rice on the side. I like to be elbow to elbow with salarymen in a sweaty hole-in-the-wall with a big, slightly greasy slab of tonkatsu on a no frills bowl of rice, personally. BUT, you will not be disappointed.
The miso cheesecake was about as good as anything involving sugar, cheese, and miso could be, but it's little too fusion for me.
If you live in Astoria, you better be at this place at least once a month. If you don't live in Astoria, you better come up just to try this place because it's honto ni oishii, yo!!
The fish is here is exceptionally fresh and high grade. My wife ordered the Sushi (10pcs with 1 roll) and loved every bite. I got the Chirashi and it was delicious.
The atmosphere was interesting but not overwhelming. Apparently on Saturday Nights from 8 to 10 they have live music, which, from the sound of it is a pleasant woman singing accompanied by a guitar.
The wait staff is polite and reasonably attentive, but slightly inept - wait, that's a bit strong. They are earnestly trying but seem a bit inexperienced. There is also a language gap (or at least I hope that's the explanation) so keeping the interaction "formulaic" - drinks, appetizer, etc will help.
All in all a lovely dinner, will definitely go back, if only for the fish.
I've you've never gone in... you need to! It's a total trip!
The trendy ultra hip decor is great and I love the Japanese movies they project on the front wall!! The food isn't anything OUTSTANDING but it's good enough for a good meal with friends. Sake list was great (love the round cups they give to drink out of!) and service was fast and pleasant.
Great place to bring your Manhattan friends who think their borough is the only one with cool stuff in it ;)
YUCK!
I ordered a spicy tuna roll here, something that I think would be relatively simple for experienced Japanese chefs to make...
Everytime a lifted a piece off of the plate, it completely fell apart. After I had reduced myself to eating the pieces in shifts, I had discovered that the seaweed was completely soggy, and the rice was doused in sesame seeds.... wtf?
I was eating with one other person, and my meal literally came a half hour before his. I got my soup and salad all before he did... isn't there something wrong with that?
Our waitress had claimed that there was a mixup in the kitchen, but we were skeptical when we kept seeing one tiny asian woman walking back and forth from the front door to the back room with ingredients... she was totally making trips to the bodega across the street.
wtf? wtf linn...
UPDATE: I've added another star to my review below. I've gone back a few more times and the sushi seems remarkably better. The fish is super fresh and have that melt in your mouth fattyness (unlike the chewy feel you get at the not so good places) and the rice has amazing texture and flavor.
Sushi wise, I'd say they are at the level of Ushiwakamaru, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Sushiden or Hasaki. That kind of Sushi in Queens is such a wonderful thing.
Friendly staff and service seems to have gotten better as well.
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It's by far the best Japanese place in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, that's not saying much.
But I urge you to give them a shot.
There sushi is fresh and authentic.
Cooked food is hit or miss but mostly good.
Atmosphere is low key and modern.
Service is earnest.
So why not the extra stars?
For me, I would like the sushi to be have better cooked and seasoned rice. The cooked dishes like shogayaki to have a more complex flavor. I also don't like experiments like the mini bagel that came as a side dish to some broiled fish.
But overall, I root for these guys. I bet you'll find a few favorites that you'll keep coming back to.
So if you're reading this review and wondering if you should give them a shot, I'd say enthusiastically, "GO FOR IT!"
This is what they closed Shima, such a nice little neigborhood japanese restaurant for?
Damn you hipsters!!!!
A Japanese oasis on the Broadway N/W subway stop - that's worth a star.
The food and service are the other two stars. The service suffers from being new and unseasoned; it took nearly 10 minutes before our order was taken, and at least 8 minutes before our water glass was refilled. To their credit, they were nice and eager.
The food suffered from the same "unrefinedness". The cuts of fish were fresh, but had visible imperfections. The tempura was under seasoned and lacked flavor.
While there's nothing avant garde about the food, the decor is more modern than it's surrounding competitors. Blank, clean walls and minimal decoration with a movie projecting on the front wall.
It's location is the best thing it has going for it.
arrived at 6pm friday nite and we were the first guests of the night. my friend had the seaweed salad and although she said it was different once she put the dressing on it was better. the miso soup wasn't hot but still flavorful. i had the ginger salad and it didn't have the usual orange ginger dressing that you find elsewhere, but it hardly had any dressing on it. there were bits of real ginger and raisins, but too dry. i ordered the $10 house sake which came in a high ball glass. i like to shoot my sake and i couldn't quite do that this time. the gyoza was fresh, but little flavor. not enough wasabi was given, but it looks very fresh, not the usual paste. the rolls were lackluster, i'm sorry to say. they clearly skimped on piece size and overall flavor. the fried icecream was creative, but the scoop was half the size of a small scoop. they bring little add-on's one before the food arrives, one with my sake and hershey's choc wtih the bill. about 10 japanses people walked in when we left. the extreme sport dvd that runs on the white wall up front is great. although some of the above things i could easily overlook, but i'm here for good sushi and well, that wasn't the case here. bai sushi up the block is my fave.
I gave Linn another chance. It just wasn't that great.
It was right before the dinner rush. The place was pretty empty and the servers were all in the… Read more »
I love Linn. I always get their chirashi. It's so damn fresh, the fish melts in your mouth. The chef even gave me free fish while I sat and waited. AND NOW THEY HAVE A LUNCH MENU!!!!!! Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! In response to Roya S. posting, I think you got the wrong restaurant because Linn doesn't deliver AT ALL. You probably ordered from the wrong Japanese restaurant and assumed it was them.
Oh Linn, I crave for your Chirashi everyday. it's so good. the raw fish melted in my mouth.… Read more »
Yep. Roya has the wrong restaurant.
3 words. Yellowtail Salt Cheek. Or is it 4 words? (yellow tail). I dont know. Anyway... oh my… Read more »
finally tried the place because it's close to my house. one thing that sucks about astoria is they have a lack of good sushi places. yes i've been to jj's, a restaurant near ditmars, etc. but manhattan clearly has better japanese restaurants. it's not even close.
anyways i have mixed feelings about this place...
the miso soup was cold.
i ordered kampachi sashimi and they gave me sushi, i told them and they replaced the pcs with 2 pcs that were the same size cut. sashimi slices should be bigger than sushi. at least they were on the house.
i think where this place shines is the cooked food. the hamachi kama (yellowtail collar or cheek as they call it) is downright delcious. i literally started sucking on the skin. my gf and i devoured the whole thing.
the pork belly was also excellent. it was not too fatty, had a delicious flavor and broth.
the yakiniku was served on a hot sizzling platter (which was very cool) and had some veggies. this dish was above average.
overall i give this a 3, i'll come back to eat but i won't have the same excitement as i do for other japanese restaurants.
2 stars. sorry Linn!
now serving on sundays!
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